Hair drier



March 9, 1948. THOMAS 2,437,366

HAIR DRIER Filed March 7, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l Patented Mar. 9, 1948UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HAIR. DRIER Albert G. Thomas, Alexandria,Va. Application March 7, 1945, Serial No. 581,363

Claims.

This invention relates to beauty shop equipment and particularly to hairdriers which are widely used for conditioning the hair of patronsfollowing shampooing, oil treatments, permanent waves, etc. The presentinvention embodies several distinct improvements and advantages overcontemporary apparatus for such purpose.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a hair drier operablethrough adjustable hot and cold air cycles. thus avoiding excessiveheating of the scalp and resulting from continuous heat application andvariable to suit the requirements of the individual.

Another object of my invention is to provide a hair drier having a dualair pressure and air suction circulating system.

Another object is to provide a hair drier having sound deadening meansin the air passage to the helmet, for lessening fatigue.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a hair drier ofincreased efficiency by reason of the proximity of the air inlets tocorresponding air outlets, thus providing a local drying at a number ofindividual'areas.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from thefollowing description and taken in connection with the drawings inwhich:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of form of my invention;

Figure 2 is avertical part sectional view of a hair drier generallysimilar to that shown in Figure 1 but having the inlet and exhaust fansmounted on the same shaft and driven by a common motor. I

Referring now to the drawings and first, to

one

' Figure 1, a frame generally indicated at I includes a. lower housing2, a hollow, upright conduit 3 and a pair of hollow upper arms 4 and 5serving as inlet and exhaust passages respectively for the drier helmetgenerally indicated at 6. An electric motor I suitably mounted inhousing 2 rotates fan 8 to draw air in through apertures 9 and III ofthe housing, thence through ports H and I2 in a horizontal wall l3 anddrives the same through a transverse layer of porous, sound-insulatingmaterial l4 into the hollow conduit 3. This material may consist ofloose asbestos, rock wool, shredded wood. or the sound filter mayconsist of battles. Worm la is fastened coaxially to the shaft of motorI and drives gear l to having projecting face pin i6 and which gear issupported for rotation by coaxial bearing pin lib fastened to supportIt. Pin l6 operates in slot ll of a lever I I pivoted at I! to supportI! and moves valves 28, 21 alternately up and down to open and closeports II and i2, respectively. Heating element 22 is positioned in alower compartment defined by the wall of housing 2 and an innerpreferably heat-insulating wall 2a and is electrically energized throughconnections as shown. Thus, alternate charges of warm and relativelycool air will be forced into the inlet arm 4 and helmet 6. This tends toprevent overheating of the subject. A motor and fan assembly 23 issuitably mounted in the lower portion of upper arm 5 and draws airthrough the porous sound insulator or baflie 24 and then forces it tothe outside through opening 25. Insulator or baiile- 24 contributes tothe external as well as internal quiet operation of the drier unit whileexhaust fan 23 increases the circulation with little increase inoperating cost. The sound filters l4 and 24 also reduce sound resonanceeffects.

Helmet or head piece I, it will be observed, is comprised of adome-shaped outer wall 26 in communication with inlet arm 4 and formswith a similarly shaped inner'wall 21 a circulating inlet space 28. Wall21 is formed of rigid material such as metal or plastic, but may be ofsoft material such as cork or rubber. Its inner surface is formed withinwardly projecting truncated cones 29 which are apertured tocommunicate with space 28. Upper arm 5 also communicates with theinterior of the wall 21 to draw the air therefrom. Suitable air sealingmeans such as a rubber ring may be used inside wall 21 and surroundingthe head of the patron if desired. It will be observed that the conicalprojections 29 serve to space the helmet from the head of the wearer andby reason of the inflow of air at these points a "floating" and not atall uncomfortable support for the head will be provided. In fact thedevice may be inclined so that the subject's head will rest upon thesupports 29, being partially lifted by the incoming air. The depressedportions 29a allow the air to be withdrawn through the hair and outhollow arm 5 from which it is carried through passage 25 by fan 23.

Valves 20 and 2| are preferably pivotally mounted on lever II as shownand are movable against springs 20:: and Ma which insure that the valveswill close openings H and I2 without excessively accurate adjustments.Electrical connections are made through plug la.

Valves 20 and 2| can be threaded upon their respective pivoted rodsupports so that they can enters apertures "Ia and lib in outer andinner walls in and 2b respectively, oi the lower housing and across aheating coil 22a and through a valve port similarly arranged to thatshown in Figure 1. Air entering the apertures on the opposite side ofthe housing is not heated, due to the wall 2c, but is drawn upwardthrough the cor-' responding valve port by the'ian la. The latter movesthe air upward through the annular coning an opening therein connectingwith said heated air chamber and an opening therein conned form orhelmet. In this embodiment air duit 3a and into the space 28b, andthrough the principles which have been disclosed herein.

necting with said relatively cool air chamber, a pair of valves forperiodically and alternately closing said openings, means in said heatedair chamber for heating air, and means driven by at least a part of saidblower-driving means for actuating said valves to distribute to saidfirst blower alternately said heated air and said relatively cool air.

4. In a hair drying device, a headpiece, a blower for moving air-to saidheadpiece, a duct to direct air from said blower to-said headpiece, amotor to drive said blower, casing means for said blower having portmeans therein for flow of heated air therethrough and having other portmeans therein for flow of relatively cool air therethrough, a valve forperiodically reducing flow 0! said heated air through its port means,another valve for periodically reducing flow of said relatively cool airthrough its port means, means for heating air to pass through said firstnamed port means, said device including a pivoted member to support saidvalves, and means associating said motor with said pivoted member tocause rocking thereof to cause said valves to admit alternately to saidblower heated air and relatively cool air.

Therefore, I desire the same to be limited only by the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. In a hair drier, a headpiece, a blower for moving air to saidheadpiece, a motor to drive said blower, a duct to direct air from saidblower to said headpiece, partition means having an opening thereiniorheated air and an opening therein for relatively cool air on 'theintake side or said blower, means for heating air in a chamber formed bysaid partition means and connected with said heated air opening, a pairof valves for periodically closing said openings, and means driven bysaid motor for actuating said valves for alternately distributing tosaid headpiece heated air and relatively cool air.

2. In a hair drier, a headpiece, a blower for moving air to saidheadpiece, a motor to drive said blower, a duct to'direct air from saidblower to said headpiece, partition means having an opening therein forheated air and an opening therein for relatively cool air on the intakeside of said blower, means for heating air in a chamber formed by saidpartition means and con nected with said heated air opening. a pair ofvalves for periodically closing said openings, and means driven by saidmotor for actuating said valves for alternately distributing to saidheadpiece heated air and relatively cool air, said valveactuating meansincluding means for adjusting said valves to vary the ratio of heatedair to relatively cool air supplied to said duct.

3. In a hair drier, a headpiece, a first blower to move air to saidheadpiece, a duct to direct air from said first blower to saidheadpiece, a second blower to move air away from said headpiece, anotherduct to direct air from said headpiece to said second blower, means fordriving said blowers, partition means on the intake side of said firstblower forming a chamber for heated air and a chamber for relativelycool air and havperiodically reducing flow of said relatively cool.

air through its port means, means for heating air to pass through saidfirst named port means, and means associating said motor with saidvalves to actuate said valves to cause distribution to said bloweralternately heated air and relatively cool air.

ALBERT G. THOMAS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,339,510 Hofiman May 11, 19201,514,495 Wirth Nov. 4, 1924 1,707,554 Hendry Apr. 2, 1929 1,976,509Olsen Oct. 9, 1934 1,998,159 Johnson et a] Apr. 16, 1935 2,008,864Hami-lton July 23, 1935 2,015,956 Moseley Oct. 1, 1935 2,022,237 GrantNov. 26, 1935 2,048,143 Seidman et a1. July 21, 1936 2,057,033 KelleyOct. 13, 1936 2,090,165 Werner Aug. 17, 1937 2,150,720 Mullooly Mar. 14,1939 2,157,047 Zwickl May 2, 1939 2,201,229 Gross May 21, 1940 2,240,857Pitner May 6, 1941 2,289,633 De Vincenzis et a1. July 14, 1942 2,293,161Miller Aug. 18, 1942 2,306,053 Gosney et a1. Dec.-22, 1942 2,328,207Freeman Aug. 31, 1943 2,416,788 Andrews Mar. 4, 1947

